Cape Verde opposition concedes election defeat

PRAIA Feb 7 (Reuters) - Cape Verde's main opposition party
conceded defeat on Monday in parliamentary elections, but
technical problems prevented official results from being
published.

The outcome means the PAICV party that has ruled the small
impoverished, but largely stable, island nation off the west
African coast for the last decade will form the next government.

"In democracy people rule and we will assume the role that
the people gave us," Carlos Veiga, leader of the opposition MPD
party, said in a statement.

The DGAP, the body that helped organise the elections, had
technical problems in transferring results due to power cuts but
observers said they expected the PAICV to have won about 40
seats to the MPD's 30 in the 72 seat parliament.

Official results were expected later on Monday.

PAICV president and current Prime Minister Jose Maria Neves
said the win with an absolute majority of seats in parliament
would rejuvenate the party.

The PAICV and the MPD have dominated politics since
independence from Portugal in 1975. Both have run the country,
for a 10-year stint each since multi-party democracy was
introduced in 1991.

Cape Verde's lack of resources and chronic drought have led
to mass emigration of much of the population, which numbers a
little over 500,000, but the government has developed the
tourism industry and is seeking to turn the islands into a trade
and transport hub.

The opposition conceding defeat before results are announced
will further cement the country's reputation for having the most
established democracy in an otherwise turbulent region.
(Reporting by Alvaro Andrade; writing by David Lewis; Editing
by Matthew Jones)